Shoulder blade squeeze exercise ยท neck pain
The shoulder blade squeeze exercise takes load off your neck by putting it back where it belongs.
The shoulder blade squeeze is an at-home exercise that unloads a sore neck and upper back: elbows bent at your sides, you pinch the shoulder blades back and slightly downward, keep them there for five seconds, and do 10.
Skip this one unless it is marked on the home program your physician gave you. Unless your instructions say otherwise, do your marked exercises twice a day, every day, and tick off each session in your log.
Step by step: the shoulder blade squeeze
- Set up: Stand upright with your arms relaxed and elbows bent at your sides.
- Move: Bring the shoulder blades toward your spine and a little downward, as if trapping a pencil between them.
- Count and hold: Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Twice a day.
Why the shoulder blade squeeze matters after a procedure
The neck sits on a base made of the shoulder blades and the muscles between them. When those muscles weaken, which happens fast with desk work, long drives and pain, the head drifts forward and the neck muscles carry weight that should be shared. Strengthening that base is one of the most direct ways to make relief from a neck procedure last. More on headaches that start at the back of the skull.
Which mistakes undo it?
- Hiking the shoulders toward the ears.
- Flaring the ribs forward or arching the lower back.
- Breath held tight during the squeeze.
When to stop for the day
Expect a mild stretch, some effort, and maybe a little soreness the next morning. Quit for the day and phone (314) 886-5620 if you get:
- Numbness, tingling or weakness that was not there before
- A sharp, stabbing pain
- Pain that rises 2 points or more above your starting number and does not settle within an hour
- Lightheadedness, or your vision changing
Fainting, chest pain or a struggle to breathe: dial 911, not our office.
What to remember
- Shoulder blades go back and slightly down.
- Ribs stay quiet. The low back does not arch.
- Breathe through every hold.
Last step. Show us you have it: Right here in the clinic, do one squeeze in front of your technician and say out loud which way your shoulder blades are moving. Unsure about any step? We run through it with you again next time.
Why bring your exercise log?
The log is how we tell the difference between an exercise that is not working and an exercise that is not being done. At each visit your technician counts the sessions you checked off, notes your daily pain number, and watches you do one exercise to correct your form before small errors become habits.
Related reading
- The painstl.com physiotherapy program, every station and test
- Chin tuck, another neck exercise
- Neck turn, another neck exercise
- Side bend, another neck exercise
Need the plan built around your injection?
A physician examines you first and decides which neck exercises fit your diagnosis and the procedure you had.
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Next to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, off I-70 at Woodson Road.